Computers and computing systems have impacted nearly every aspect of modern living. For example, computers are generally involved in work, recreation, healthcare, transportation, entertainment, household management, etc.
Mixed-reality computer systems, which include virtual-reality systems and augmented-reality systems, have recently received significant interest for their ability to create immersive experiences for users. Conventional augmented-reality systems create an augmented-reality scenario by visually presenting virtual objects in the real world. In contrast, conventional virtual-reality systems create a more immersive experience because a user's entire view is obstructed by a virtual world. As used herein, mixed-reality, augmented-reality, and virtual-reality systems are described and referenced interchangeably. Unless specifically stated or unless specifically required, as understood by one of skill in the art, the descriptions herein apply equally to any type of mixed-reality system, including augmented-reality systems, virtual-reality systems, and/or any other similar system capable of displaying virtual objects to a user.
Mixed-reality computer systems use one or more on-body devices (e.g., a head-mounted device, a handheld device, etc.). A head-mounted device provides a display, sometimes referred to as a head-mounted display (hereinafter “HMD”), that enables a user to view overlapping and/or integrated visual information in the user's ambient environment (i.e. the user's field of view). By way of example, a mixed-reality computer system may present visual information in the form of a simulated object on an actual table surface.
Continued advances in hardware capabilities and rendering technologies have greatly increased the realism of virtual objects displayed to a user within a mixed-reality environment. For example, in mixed-reality environments, virtual objects can be placed within the real world in such a way as to give the impression that the virtual object is part of the real world. As a user moves around within the real world, the mixed-reality environment automatically updates so that the user is provided with the proper perspective and view of the virtual object. This mixed-reality environment is often referred to as a computer-generated scene, or simply a “scene.”
Although HMDs provide a versatile interface, modern-day HMDs are limited in the amount of “field of view” that is presented to a user. To clarify, HMDs have a limited amount of realty (i.e. space) in which a scene may be displayed. Because of this constraint, the user's virtual experience is limited to only the region displayed on the HMD. For areas outside of that viewable region, a user sees either no virtual content (e.g., in an augmented-reality situation) or complete darkness (e.g., in a virtual-reality situation). It is commonly known that some users, when immersed in such an environment, can feel discomfort.
In an effort to combat these problems, mixed-reality system designers have introduced the use of a “sparse peripheral display.” As suggested by its name, a sparse peripheral display is a low-resolution display that is situated around an outer perimeter of a main display. As used herein, “sparse peripheral display” and “peripheral display” are described and referenced interchangeably. This sparse peripheral display is comprised of an array of low resolution “pixels” that provide only a generalized context for the scene. Notably, a pixel refers to any light-emitting source (e.g., a light emitting diode “LED”).
As alluded to in the above passages, immersing a user into a mixed-reality environment (i.e. a scene) creates many challenges and difficulties that extend beyond the mere presentation of that mixed-reality environment to the user. As suggested above, some mixed-reality computer systems utilize sparse peripheral displays. However, conventional mixed-reality computer systems are somewhat limited in their ability to process the data required to display detailed peripheral visual content. As a result, these displays place unnecessary burdens on the computer system's operations. Accordingly, there exists a strong need in the field to improve the manner in which sparse peripheral displays are used.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is provided to illustrate only one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.